One More Christmas
by The Red Dragons Order
Summary: Another Christmaspiece. It's the Hogwarts Annual GrownUp Christmas Party. Dumbledore's hyperactive, Creevy's singing, Sirius sulking and Harry and Draco... well... R


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but the obvious, the rest belongs to JK Rowling.

**Authors Note:** I couldn't pass this up. The Spirit of Christmas has grabbed me and refuses to let go. Enjoy!

One More Christmas

By The Red Dragons Order

* * *

Draco let a small smile grace his face as he watched Harry sleep. The green-eyed man was simply beautiful.

Outside the snow was falling, those few students that hadn't gone home for Christmas were already out playing, rolling, building snowmen or castles, having a snowball war or playing with the Giant Squid.

At the end of their bed was a large pile of gifts. It was Christmas morning. Dobby had been busy in the last couple of days decorating the newest Potion Master's quarters. Under normal circumstances Draco would've burned anyone who tried to make his rooms look festive, but ever since Harry had come into his life he had found himself going more and more soft.

Harry shifted closer to him, and Draco couldn't help but remember the day those years ago that had finally brought them together. Come to think of it that had also been around Christmas.

**FLASHBACK**

Albus Dumbledore grinned at his glowering new Potion Master. "Come now Draco, it isn't that bad. All you have to do is to go to Godric's Hollow and invite them to come to the annual Hogwarts Christmas Party."

"Why me?" Draco demanded for the tenth time. "Why not Minerva, she was their Head of House! Hell, you can even send Hagrid! Anyone _but me_!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible, dear boy. Hagrid is off visiting Madame Maxime, and Minerva has agreed to go and invite the Weasley's, and certain other former students of hers."

"I'm not doing it." The other man growled, knowing that he sounded like a child and that the argument was lost. He had to try to get out of this mess. God, how he hated Christmas. People were so cheery all the time, and all those stupid useless decorations that gave him a headache. It was down right disgusting, and he really couldn't see the reason people got excited because of Christmas. It was just another holiday like Easter or the summer holidays.

The old Headmaster sighed. "Really Draco, you're acting like a child. Just go and deliver the invitation to Harry, Remus and Sirius, you can even leave it in their mailbox if you prefer doing it that way. It won't take more than five minutes of your time, and all the potions you're currently working on are in a stage where they need to be left alone for a few hours to simmer. You told me so yourself."

Draco knew that confession was going to come back and haunt him. "I really hate you Albus."

"That's the spirit!" Dumbledore handed the blond man an envelope – nicely decorated in greens and red – and the Head of Slytherin House left, banging the door shut after himself.

Fawkes flew over to the old mage and crooned.

"Yes, you're right my dear Fawkes. Draco really needs to get back into the Christmas cheer. He needs to relax." Suddenly Dumbledore's eyes started twinkling madly, and he found a sheet of parchment and a quill. "And I've just the thing for him!"

* * *

Harry grinned as he watched Remus trying to teach Sirius how to waltz. 

"No, no! Left foot, Padfoot, left foo- SHIT, THAT HURT!"

"Sorry Remus."

The green-eyed man shook his head and put the book back in its place in the shelf. Those two were completely impossible.

"Uncle Harry!" a small voice piped up by his feet and a small hand tugged on Harry's sleeve.

"Yes, Amandine?" he looked down at Sirius and Remus' six-year-old daughter. "Anything I can help you with?"

The girl grinned happily. "Come with me and build a snowman!" she giggled.

"Alright, why not, those two will be at it all night," he looked over to his two godfathers, and quickly hurried Amandine out of the room seeing that Sirius and Remus weren't dancing anymore, but kissing – quite passionately at that. "Hey, you two! Go to your room!" Harry ordered and could hear to two men chuckle before they continued with their activity.

Amandine giggled again and let Harry help her put on her boiler suit, mittens, scarf, boots and the hood of the suit, then she ran out into the snow and around the house to get the sledge. Harry followed as soon as he had put on his own clothes.

"Come on!" the little girl jumped onto the sledge. "Can we go to the hill? Can we!"

Harry smiled and began to pull her. "Sure, but not for long. Someone has to make dinner, and it's my turn today. Besides you fathers won't be up until they smell the food."

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Harry replied lightly and continued to walk through the small village of Godric's Hollow. He, Sirius and Remus had decided to move to the place after Voldemort had been defeated in Harry's seventh year. They had rebuilt the old house that belonged to Harry's parents, and just in time for Remus to give birth to Amandine.

The war with Voldemort had only lasted for three years, yet it had been one of the most bloody and destructive wars in the history of the Wizarding world. In a desperate try to stop the madness, Dumbledore let Harry go in disguise with Severus under pretence that he was a new recruit. When Harry had been presented to the Dark Lord, he had whipped out his wand and killed him with a spell few had heard of. Severus had protected his back, but it had cost the proud man much. He had been crippled and couldn't move anything from his waist down. To everyone's surprise Hagrid had taken care of the former Potion Master and ex-spy, and now they shared Hagrid's hut as best friends.

Another thing that had happened was that Draco Malfoy had turned on his Death Eater comrades and had turned out to be an Unspeakable. Now the blond was acting as the Potion Master at Hogwarts, only being called out into the field now and then.

Harry shook his head as he reached Godric Hill. "Ready?" he asked the girl.

She nodded, then patted the space behind her. "You come too! It's fun!"

The green eyes twinkled in amusement as Harry got on behind Amandine. "Hang on."

"I am!"

"Ready?"

"Of course!"

"Here we go!" Harry pushed off and down the hill they went. Other kids were out as well as their parents, and many of them waved as Harry and Amandine went by.

They landed in a heap at the bottom, both grinning and laughing like maniacs.

"One more time!" Amandine jumped up and grabbed the cord that was bound to the sledge and started dragging it up the hill. "You wait here and watch me!" she ordered.

Harry grinned and dusted himself off before getting out of the way.

A young woman walked up to him. "Hello Harry."

"Claire," he nodded to her. "How's everything?"

"Wonderful. Thomas is growing up so fast, and he's constantly running around. Where does he get all that energy from?" she wondered and waved to her son as he went downhill.

"All children are like that." Harry said and grinned as he spotted Amandine waiting for her turn at the top. "Hell Thomas." He greeted the boy.

"Mom, did you see? Did you? It went _ssssoooo_ fast!" the young boy demonstrated.

Claire looked up at the sky. "It's going to snow again soon," she mused. "Well, time to go home. It's getting late."

"But mom!"

"No buts, young man. We're going home, I'm still not finished with the cleaning, and Aunt and Uncle are coming soon."

Harry nodded in agreement. "I should probably head back as well," he said. "My turn to make the dinner."

The woman smiled as she tried to brush off some of the snow from her son. "I tell you this every year, Harry. If you three need help up there just come to me and I'll help you out."

"You have enough work of your own," Harry replied. "Hey there, squirt. Had a good time?"

Amandine nodded eagerly. "We're going home, aren't we? Hi Thomas."

The boy blushed. "Um, hi."

They parted ways five minutes later with a 'Merry Christmas' and Claire and Thomas went into their street, and Harry and Amandine followed the main street further on. Their house stood on a small hill as well a bit away from the village itself. There was a small road leading up, and all around were fields of deep, untouched snow. Behind the house started the forest, where a family of unicorns lived, along with some fauns and elves. Often the mythological creatures would come and talk to Harry, Sirius and Remus, and they all adored Amandine.

Harry trudged up the road dragging the sledge with Amandine behind him. The girl kept singing 'Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer', but as she only knew one verse it got slightly boring after a while. Harry didn't mind though. He loved her as a little sister.

His musings were broken off as he heard a soft _pop_, and whirled around. Then he grinned. Draco Malfoy, the fearsome Unspeakable, was having trouble getting up from the snow. "Problems Draco?"

"Shut it Potter!" the other man snarled and finally got up. "Bloody snow," he mumbled before starting to stalk towards the two waiting for him.

"Why are you here?" Harry asked as soon as the blond was beside him, and started walking towards the house again.

"Not by my free will, I can assure you." Draco snapped. "Dumbledore wanted to-"

However, what Dumbledore wanted Malfoy to do Harry didn't get to know as there was a huge explosion from the house they were headed for. The windows on both floors were thrown open, and thick black smoke exited.

"What the hell was that!"

"No worries," Amandine replied to Malfoy's question. "That was just Papa trying to cook. I think he found those Smoke Nuts that Uncle Fred and Uncle George gave you." The last sentence was directed at Harry.

"Well, at least we know they work." Harry smiled sheepishly at the girl.

Draco stared at them both, looked at the house then back at them. "I'll never understand you Gryffindors." He said finally.

Harry grinned, and Draco felt his heart rate speed up for some reason. "Don't even try to figure us out. We may act stupidly at times – heck, we even might look stupid – but you couldn't be farther form the truth." Then he started walking again. "Come on in and warm yourself before you apparate to Hogwarts. You can also take the chance of observing Gryffindors in an environment they're comfortable in."

Draco shook his head, but followed the other man to the house. All three coughed as they entered the foyer and both Harry and Draco started casting charms to clean the smoke out. though found Remus and Sirius hiding in the living room right under the open window.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to even go close to the stove!" Remus roared at his mate. "We all know from painful personal experience that I and Harry are the only ones who can cook in this house."

"And me!" piped Amandine up and hugged both her fathers.

"Hello squirt!" Sirius grabbed his daughter and started tickling her, everything else was forgotten.

Remus shared a helpless look with Harry and stood up. Only then did he notice Draco standing behind his godson. "Hello Draco, what brings you all the way here?"

"I was just about to tell Potter why I was here, when the house exploded." Try as he might, Draco really couldn't be impolite towards Remus. It was the werewolf who had suggested that he became an Unspeakable, and he was the one who had made it possible for Draco to even be considered for training.

"Well, then, have a seat and I'll get the tea." The golden-eyed man hurried out into the kitchen.

As Sirius and Amandine had claimed the entire couch and were laughing their heads off, Harry and Draco were forced to share the loveseat. Remus came back and put the tray down on the table before finding a footstool he could sit on.

"Now, care to tell us why you are here?" he asked the current Hogwarts Potion Master as he handed him the tea.

"I am here to invite you to the Annual Hogwarts Christmas Party," Draco pulled out the letter Dumbledore had given him. "And before you ask Potter, yes, Granger, Weasley and other Gryffindors are going to be there as well."

Remus sighed. "I remember the first Hogwarts Christmas Party I attended as an adult."  
Sirius, who was taking a break from his maniacal laughter, grinned. "I remember that one, sure! It was the same night you and I-"

"Sirius! Not in front of the kid!"

"Harry's a grown boy, and besides he would be a hypocrite if he had anything against gays being gay himself."

Draco noted out of the corner of his eye that Potter was beet red and was mumbling something about killing his godfather. Something inside the Slytherin jumped in joy that Potter was as gay as he was, but he quickly squashed it.

"I wasn't talking about Harry you idiot!" the werewolf growled. "I was talking about Amandine!"

Sirius blinked before turning to the girl. "Did you hear anything of what I just said?"

"Nope!" the girl grinned.

"There you see Remmy, she went temporarily deaf at that moment."

"Keep telling yourself that and maybe you'll believe it!" Remus snorted. "Come here 'Mandy, your dress is put on wrong."

Harry shook his head and stood up. Draco took this as his cue and followed the slightly smaller man out into the corridor again. "Weird family, I know." The Gryffindor grinned. "At least it never gets boring around here."

"I quickly understood that, Potter." Draco replied. "So, you're gay, huh?" he grabbed his cloak as he spoke and it swung around in a dramatic move before it settled on his strong shoulders.

"More or less," Harry confirmed, and this time managed to keep his blush at a minimum.

Malfoy shook his head and stalked out the door without even a 'goodbye'. It was snowing heavily again and he was quickly lost in the drift as he walked to the end of the apparation wards.

Harry smiled again. It was good seeing Draco again. The blond had obviously changed in looks, but not in mannerism.

* * *

Hogwarts Annual Christmas Party. People from all four Houses mingled and chatted with old friend or made new. Dumbledore was skipping around jovially and was greeting everyone, whether he knew them or not. Along one of the wall long tables with refreshments were put out, at the other side there were dozens of small tables where people sat; in the middle there was a dance floor, and where the Teacher Table usually stood was now a stage with a live band playing. The singer of this band was none other than Dennis Creevy. The boy hadn't followed his brother into the photography and journalistic business, but had surprisingly become a well-known singer. He was currently going around greeting people and having a good time like everybody else. 

Draco stood in one corner, a glass of punch in his hand, and was glaring murderously at anyone who dared to approach him. Too bad Dumbledore had forced him to come to this damn thing, or else he would've stayed in his rooms brewing potions for the rest of the night. He sneered as said Headmaster jumped hyperactively past him with a cheerful 'Merry Christmas'. He would've loved to tell the old coot exactly where he could go with that 'Merry Christmas' of his if the man could stand still for a second.

The doors of the Great Hall opened and in came Harry, Sirius, Remus and Amandine. Draco watched as they were assaulted from all sides by the uncountable Weasleys and their children. Not to forget Granger and her family. Longbottom and his wife. Finnigan and his current lover. Jordan and Bell. The list went on and on.

Suddenly his eyes met with a pair of incredibly green ones, and he raised an eyebrow. Potter smiled to him and once again that weird feeling he refused to acknowledge, appeared. It warmed him all over, but Draco refused to let it show.

About four songs from Dennis and half an hour later, Harry finally made his way over to the blond Slytherin. Draco sneered at him, but Harry ignored it.

"Nice party, isn't it?" Harry commented.

Draco snorted and drank some more of the punch. "Depends on who you ask, Potter."

Harry sighed. "Can't you call me by my first name just for once? It's Christmas for heavens sake."

"I do not like Christmas and I do not like you." Growled the blond, though he knew very well that half of the statement wasn't true.

"You're impossible!" the green-eyed man laughed as if Draco had just told a great joke. "What's not to like about Christmas?"

"Everything."

Harry didn't get to reply to that as Dennis stepped onto the stage again after a short break. "Alright people, now I know many of you wondered why the hell I went into the singing-business instead of following by brother and helping him with his photo agency." There were nods all around the room, and the young man grinned. "Well, it has all to do with one single person in this room. You see, one night I couldn't sleep and went for a walk – avoiding the caretaker and his cat – and then I heard a soft singing. Incidentally that was also the night before Christmas Day.

Anyways, I followed the singing, and found this person gazing out the window at the starry sky and singing a well-known muggle Christmas song. He had the most beautiful voice I had ever heard before, muggle or magical, and I just stayed there listening until I felt it was time to leave. Then I got to thinking. I mean, if this simple song had made me so content and warm and fuzzy, why shouldn't I be able to make others feel that way as well? So, in the upcoming holidays I took singing lessons, and after school I went to an agency. And here I am." The young Creevy flung his arms wide at that.

"Is there a point to this?" Draco sneered.

"Indeed there is Malfoy. Now, I would like to present to you the person who inspired me to start singing. Harry Potter, will you be so kind as to come up here?"

Everyone turned to Harry who was staring at them like an owl stared at an oncoming broom. He was frozen to the spot, blinking rapidly behind his glasses. Draco grinned despite himself. This was too good to pass up, so he gave the shocked Gryffindor beside him a gentle puff. The others in the Great Hall ganged up on the poor man, and soon Harry found himself being pushed and dragged onto the stage. He sent a nervous smile to the hollering audience, then glared at Dennis.

"Come now, Harry." Dennis grinned. "Do a song with us."

"Dennis…"

"Come on Harry!" Ron yelled from the crowd. "Now I finally know how the hell you manage to put my children to sleep, and I want to hear it for myself!"

"I do too!" Hermione joined from the other side of the hall.

"Nothing to it Harry," Fred said from right in front of the stage. "Take the microphone, sing a song and get down. Just get it over with."

"But…"

"I knew you'd do it!" Dennis clapped him on the back and stuck a microphone in Harry's hand. He turned and said something to his band, before turning back to the audience and Harry. "No need to look so afraid Harry. Do you know the song 'My Only Wish ( This Year )' by the muggle singer Britney Spears?"

"I do." Harry nodded with dread filling his stomach. Of course he knew that song, Britney Spears was one of Amandine's great heroines.

"Great, then that's what you're going to sing." Dennis nodded still grinning like a maniac.

"Dennis, isn't there any way that I can get out of this?" Harry tried one last time.

The other man shook his head. "Nope, sorry Harry. Not this time."

"The two of us are going to have a very long talk after this is finished." The Man Who Lived growled before taking his place at the middle of the stage. He closed his eyes and tried to remember just how the lyrics went. The band started to play and it all came back to him.

Draco let the words wash over him. Harry really did know how to sing, Creevy hadn't exaggerated that fact. Watching the other man on the stage, Draco could feel that special feeling that always appeared when Harry was in the vicinity. And now he didn't ignore it or squish it down, but let it wash over him just like the song.

He was in love with Harry Potter.

The Slytherin Head of House blinked. Yes, he was in love with Harry Potter, and now he wasn't ashamed to admit it. He looked back to the man on the stage. Couples were dancing slowly on the floor, others were just sitting and listening. Creevy stood to the side looking like he was having the time of his life.

Draco couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the last couple of lines. _'Oh, I'll make your wish come true soon enough Harry. As soon as you get off that bloody stage in fact.'_

"Enjoying yourself?" Dumbledore inquired as he bounced by.

Draco decided to put his hastily-thought-out plan into action, and acted completely drunk. He also knew that the annoying coot would see straight through his plan and go right along. "Veeeeeerrrrryyyyy much Heahicmaster."

The old mage chuckled grinning like a loon. "That's a good boy!" then he was off to bother others.

People cheered and clapped as Harry finished the song, Remus and Sirius even joined the Weasley Twins in wolf whistling.

A blushing Harry Potter stepped off the stage, glared briefly at Dennis who grinned, before he was attacked by Amandine and other friends and family.

"That was wonderful!" Amandine exclaimed. "Now I don't need the CD's, I've got you!"

"Brilliant Harry! Simply… wow!" Ron grinned and turned to Percy. "My money please. I told you he could sing." The older Weasley brother looked miffed, but handed five galleons to his younger sibling.

Sirius glared at his godson. "Why didn't you tell us you could sing, huh?"

"There was never a reason to," Harry replied.

" 'There was never a reason to'," the animagi imitated. "Well, _nyah_ for that!"

"Shut up Siri," Remus shook his head. "Oh, hello Headmaster."  
Albus happily appeared besides Harry and took his arm. "If you'll excuse us gentlemen, I need to borrow Harry here."

"Just take him." Sirius sulked.

Everyone rolled their eyes and the Headmaster started leading Harry towards what appeared to be a very drunk Draco Malfoy. Harry blinked. Draco Malfoy was an Unspeakable, he wasn't supposed to get so drunk that he could hardly stand on his feet not to mention fight. Something was going on here, and Albus knew exactly what it was.

"Would you be so kind as to take my Potion Master back to his rooms, Harry?" Albus asked the younger man.

"Yes, b-but-"

"Wonderful! Off you go my dear boys!" the Headmaster pushed them out of the Great Hall and closed the doors after them.

Harry was completely bewildered and shook his head, before he stared at Malfoy again. The man really looked drunk and was blinking in surprise trying to figure out how the hell he had ended up in the Entrance Hall. The Man Who Lived wrapped one of the blonds arms around his shoulders and let the man lean on him, then they started the trek to the rooms in the dungeons.

Draco loved to act completely drunk before the unsuspecting Harry. He often overdid it, and his teachers at the Unspeakables would've clobbered him for even thinking about doing such a stunt, but it was well worth it. Or at least he hoped it would be. Now there was a thought. What if Harry wasn't interested in him? Oh, well, he could always claim he was drunk.

Harry and Draco entered the Potion Master quarters and Harry helped the other man into the bedroom and into bed. Harry then sighed and moved towards the door but didn't get far as an hand landed on his shoulder and swung him around. In the next second he found himself lip-locked with Draco who was kissing him rather enthusiastically. He leaned into the kiss before suddenly pulling out of the embrace.

"What?" the blond man asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You're supposed to be dead drunk!" Harry accused.

"My dearest Harry, have you ever heard about a drunk Unspeakable?"

"No, but what was act for then?"

Draco, instead of replying verbally, grabbed the slightly shorter man and kissed him again. Harry made no protest and wrapped his arms around Draco as well.

"That answer your question?" Draco asked as they were forced to part for breath.

"Are all Unspeakables as manipulative as you, or am I just lucky?"

"You know I can't answer that one, and does it really matter?"

It didn't. Harry just grinned and kissed the other man passionately.

Needless to say that they weren't see for the rest of the night.

**END FLASHBACK**

"What are you thinking of?" Harry's quiet and sleepy voice dragged Draco out of his thought.

"You," he replied and smiled. "About how we got together."

Harry smiled. "And the conclusion of this heavy, deep thinking is?"

"Christmas really is a time to be happy."

"Merry Christmas." Harry kissed him.

And it truly was.

* * *

Please tell me what you think. This isn't beteaed yet as my current beta isn't fond of slash-stories. 

Merry Christmas!

The Red Dragons Order


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